The present invention relates to an air cleaner assembly and more particularly to an air cleaner which may include an integral resonator and mass airflow sensor.
Carburated engines typically included an air cleaner situated upstream of the carburetor. With the removal of the carburetor as typified by many of the fuel injected engines in use today, it has been found that the intake air as it enters the engine emits an annoying acoustical sound. In reality this noise most probably always existed with carbureted engines but due to the inherent throttle action of the narrowed carburetor venturi this noise was attenuated. One early solution to the noise problem was to include a resonator in series with the air cleaner, the exit end of the resonator being communicated to a throttle body of the injection system. This type of installation, while delivering clean air to the engine and attenuating engine noise, requires a serpentinelike placement of the above mentioned components. The installation of the air cleaner and resonator is further complicated by those systems which utilize a mass airflow sensor which must be positioned upstream of the throttle body or clean air intake of the engine.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an integral air cleaner resonator assembly. A further object of the present invention is to provide such an assembly which will act as an accumulator to decrease air intake back-flow pressure.
Accordingly the invention comprises: a filter assembly comprising: a first housing member comprising first and second compartments. The first compartment comprising an exit tube and an oppositely situated first open end. The exit tube comprising a plurality of radial inwardly extending stand-offs. The second compartment comprising an air inlet and an oppositely situated second open end. The assembly further includes means for sensing the mass of air exiting the exit tube including an exit conduit adapted to be received upon and supported by the stand-offs. The exit conduit and exit tube cooperate to form an inlet passage for a tuner or resonator. The mass airflow means further includes an entrance conduit, positioned upstream of the exit conduit. The assembly additionally includes an insert comprising tapered walls including first and second ends. The first end defining an opening conformal to the first open end of the first housing member and adapted to be joined therewith. The second end defining a hollow sleeve of substantially the same size as the entrance conduit and adapted to sealingly mate therewith, thereby enclosing in cooperation with the first compartment a tuner volume communicated with the tuner inlet passage. An air filter means may additionally be positioned upon the insert opening for filtering air. A second housing member is sealingly positioned in engagement with the first housing member and spaced from a portion of the air cleaner means to communicate air received from the inlet through the air cleaner means.
Many other objects and purposes of the invention will be clear from the following detailed description of the drawings.